5.2.5 Uniondale ***Haarlem
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**Rosselerf, further towards Klaarstroom, a somel'hat changed T- shaped homestead of c.1820' *"Middelwater/Kluesplaas/Avondrust just $-est oi Klaarstroom' a smali H-shaped farmhouse oi great age, possibli' pre-1800' ***vrolikheid just east of Kiaarstroom. Possibh'the best-preserved homestead in the area, rvith fine'Dutch'casement n-indows and a ftolhol gable dated 1821. **Gamkaskloof/Die Hel. This secluded 10 km long valley - a fissure in the sr,vartberg - has been described in seleral pubiications. A fert, of the extremely modest homesteads have been preserved: *Mooifontein, **Middelplaas, *Onderplaas and **Boplaas TOWNS: ***Klaarstroom is a one-street hamlet, established as Pietersburg in 1g60. Its finest building among several line \/ictorian houses is its courthouse of 1899. Non a police station, it iS nol\: almost invisible behind its wire-mesh fence, u'hich should be instantly rernozted' 5.2.5 Uniondale ***Haarlem. This Langkloof mission village n'as established by J'C' Taute (see also Molenrivier) in 1856. It retains fe'rv o1d houses but its thatched and steepled crllciiorm church is one of the outstanding monuments of the entire area. 5.2.6 George Of this district, ive ha'e i.cluded onil' the part in and .orth of the Outeniquas. **North Station Hotel. At the junction of the Montagu Pass Pass (1812/15) replaced (1844147) and the clreaded Cradock "vhichit the o1d eiongatecl hotel building which serviced it during its constructiolt. **Toll-house, Montagu Pass. **Bridge, Montagu Pass. *Doornrivier, Herold, a longhouse that long served as a stop-over place. **Heimersrivier, a part-double-storev house of c'1850' with outbuildings. *"Ilklamoor, near Kamfer Siding, a much-changed H-shaped farmhouse of c.1840. **Schoonberg farm church, a rvell-preserved Anglican church buili after sketches bY SoPhY Gra,v, 1855' ***Eenzaamheid, a singularll' lve11-preserved longhouse under thatch, at least partly dating from c'1765' ***Molenrivier, a very similar house, long the property of the Taute family. It, too, has a farm church. no longer in u" (iop) De Hoop church, a landmark visible from miles around' is as a church. name oi (upper midclle) Nearbv at Volmoed (once Armoed, derived from tlre iCi6i .ni"ie.*oeda) i very fine stone-built church (J Clunis' 1911)' of (lorrer middle) Groenfontein in the Cango, a complex of three homesteads ciilierent ages, set against a breathtaking mountain scene' no more (bottom) Redlancls: a t1'pical Ladismith double-storey, its upper storev than a storage loft. 36 I/re Nreit, Anidst the Old: Buildittg itt the Kleitt Karott ;.2.7 Laingsburg Iere we have included the small part of the Laingsburg district that djoins that of Prince Albert just north of the Klein Swartberg. It ; a picturesque valley that can be reached from Ladismith via the eweweekspoort. '*Rouxspos is a well-preserved gabled homestead probably dating 'om 1856 and accompanied by several other old farm buildings. Die Meule is another complex of o1d buildings. 'Vleiland is a largely unspoilt farm hamlet. rSandrivier is a modest H-shaped homestead older than its gable ated 1854. i.2.8 Swellendam . small part of this district can be regarded as part of the Klein .aroo, namely that northeast of Barrydale. 'Doornriviersvlei. T-shaped homestead, its gable dated 1844, but robably older than that. Poplars. An L-shaped house, its veranda under thatch, c.1850. Flemoenshoek. A fine doubie-storey of c.1880. t*Warmwaterberg/Uitvlugt. One of the most important and nspoilt farm complexes of the entire Klein Karoo, in good F rndition and in use as guest accommodation. Its two T-shaped I omesteads date from 1800 or soon after that. E ;. CONSERVATION ! lonservation'is not the main topic of the booklet in front of you. ut the dividing line between'the Neu amongst the Old' and il i ryeseftling the old'is a thin one indeed. Developments in historical L :eas are often - and should be - accompanied by the upgrading or rconditioning of historical building stock, and it might be of use to Lclude some thoughts on it in these notes. We can perhaps distinguish four types of conservation - a1l of Lem efforts to retain strucfures of the past: reseroation - to retain and maintain more or less as is, preventing Lrther changes. estoration - to return to (a) former appearance. Though Lis can be very worthwhile when done after proper research ulbagh's Church Street!), by definition it involves a certain loss of rthenticity - part of the structure is brand new! enooation - to modify and repair to accommodate a new use recycling'), while retaining the existing character. econstruction - the re-erection of a former o1d building. This is rintless except perhaps where a well-documented old building missing in an otherwise intact historical setting. Thus, in the ellenbosch village museum, Bletterman House was painstakingly constructed. (top) Voorbaat: the oldest house of a priceless little hamlet. upper middle) Voorbaat: some other buildings of the complex, the little double- storey with a flarvless facade. (lower middle) K'nuyswagendrift, a traditional Cape Dutch wing-type home- :ad close to Ladismith, photographed forty years ago. It has since lost its thatch. (bottom) The fine mission church of Amalienstein with its ringmuur and bell- tower, recently lvell refurbished. Conseruatiott .1/ Afew do's and don'ts might be of use here. "Do get specialist adoice; the publishers of this booklet will happilv provide some suggestions. *Don't return an old building to its 'original state' if this state is not accurately knozon, or if in the process you might sauifice authentic later elements for something fictitious. *Don't turn it into something, it neaer was. *Don't'intsent' histoty - rather retain more modern elements uniess these are deemed - by general consensus - too unsympathetic. *Don't remooe boundary walls or hedges - or build rvalls that are too high. *Even in new structures on the property, don't use unsuitable materials like face brick, concrete, IBR sheeting. *Don't use 'decorative thatch'(with patterns and cut-out saddles), corkscrew chimneys etc. *If additions (garages!) are inevitable, place them where they are least visible from the street. "Do paint all outer zooodzuork frorn before the High-Victorian age - including in new work, and even garage doors;'Old Cape Dutch green'/ with white glazing bars, has proved popular, but minor variations are in order. xCorrect-style doors and windows contribute immeasurably to the authenticity of a restoration. Pre-1820'Dutch'flush and small-panec windows and bo-en-onderdeure are very rare in the Klein Karoo. But the increasingly larger-paned, recessed sashes and multi-panel1ed verticaliy divided doors, too, are subject to fairly rapid changes ove: the course of the 19'h century, and a close study of the details of weli preserved houses from a particular period is required and makes the expenses involved in a good restoration worthwhile. 7. SUMMARY DON'TS AND DO'S At the outset we stated that we were wary of reducing the question of 'The New amidst the Old'to a set of simple rules. But although it remains impossible to prescribe an appropriate style, in the course of our formulating our arguments and in the process of trying to clarify our minds, we do appear to have come up with quite a few do's and don'ts. It might be useful to recapitulate these in point form. Don'ts Don't choose a 'historically sensitive' environment for large-scale de velopment Don't build hi-tech there Don'tuse forelgz styles: Tuscan, Mykonos, Tudor, adobe (top) Scholtzkloof, a peerless late-Cape Dutch gabled house, white bands set in ochre roughcast as is the local fashion, surrounded by its ringmuur. (upper middle) Baviaanskloof, another one of the few centre-gabled homesteais in the Klein Karoo, its Cape Dutch rroodrvork replaced by three French doors e.: c.18E0. (lower middle) Character of place: Bar.iaanskloof is set amidst serene surround- ings, u,ith an idl.llic little burial ground, the graves blending with nature. (bottom) The cathedral of the Langkloof: the Lutheran Mission church of Haar- Iem is a perfect blend of Cape Dutch Dutch and Gothic. 38 The Nett, Amidst the Old: Building in tfu Klein Knroo Don't closely copy local historical styles Don't ignore scale of local architecture Don't build higher than two, at most three storeys Don't build on sfilfs or with ground-floor parking Don't use oaer-prestigioils entrances Don't place g&rages in prominent positions Don't use lozu-pitched or monopitch roofs Don't use /ac e -brick, cotTcr ete, o ibr a cr et e Don't use IBR sheeting or asbestos roofing Don't leave corrugated iron roofs unpainted Don't paint stoneuork Don't paint plaster wa11s in anytl.ring but muted earth colours Don't place buildings at oblique angles Don't ooer-design Don't use garish signage Don't violate public space by large parking areas Don't use Disneyland theme-park features DON'T BUILD TO SThND OUT RATHERFlIIN Do's )o make sure that you really want to select a 'historically sensitive rrea for your development )o get expert adoice E )o study the local topography )o get a feel for the 'character of place' F )o look at qualities of the built environment )o respect the existing architectural scale )o break down the bulk of an otter-large structure )o articulate the fagade of a large building J )o pick up'cues'from older buildings to form linkages )o break down sheer facades by means of balconies, dormers, bargeboard gable ends )o paint outer woodwork )o paint coruusated-iron roofs )o use plaster'rendering'or paint brick white )o use a textured plaster finish but uithout'denting'the plaster )o paint plaster walls in white or a pale earth colour )o articulate large plaster surfaces by means of project- ing quoining or frames )o use greenery to mellow modern strucfures )o use regularly spaced ztertical windows )O BUILD TO FITIN, NOT TO STAND OIIT (top) Heimersrivier: an impressive longhouse of c.1850.